US 12,268,469 B2
Medical imaging systems and methods that facilitate use of different fluorescence imaging agents
Curtis W. Stith, Santa Cruz, CA (US); and Jeffrey M. DiCarlo, Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/296,180
Filed by Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 26, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/063178
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 21, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/112724, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 4, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/774,023, filed on Nov. 30, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0007942 A1, Jan. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/06 (2006.01); A61B 90/30 (2016.01); A61B 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/0071 (2013.01) [A61B 1/0655 (2022.02); A61B 90/30 (2016.02); A61B 1/00009 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A medical imaging system comprising:
a visible light illumination system configured to selectively emit one of
a first visible light biased to a first wavelength associated with a first color, and
a second visible light biased to a second wavelength associated with a second color;
a fluorescence excitation illumination system comprising:
a first fluorescence excitation illumination source configured to emit a first fluorescence excitation illumination having a third wavelength to elicit fluorescence illumination by a first fluorescence imaging agent, the third wavelength closer to the first wavelength than to the second wavelength, and
a second fluorescence excitation illumination source configured to emit a second fluorescence excitation illumination having a fourth wavelength to elicit fluorescence illumination by a second fluorescence imaging agent, the fourth wavelength closer to the second wavelength than to the first wavelength; and
an illumination source control unit communicatively coupled to the visible light illumination system and the fluorescence excitation illumination system, the illumination source control unit configured to:
identify, based on a wavelength of fluorescence illumination that is emitted when a particular fluorescence excitation illumination is applied within a patient while a particular fluorescence imaging agent is used in the patient, the particular fluorescence imaging agent as being either the first fluorescence imaging agent or the second fluorescence imaging agent
selectively direct, when the illumination source control unit identifies the particular fluorescence imaging agent used in the patient as being the first fluorescence imaging agent, the visible light illumination system to emit the second visible light and the fluorescence excitation illumination system to emit the first fluorescence excitation illumination concurrently with the emission of the second visible light for use with the first fluorescence imaging agent, the selective directing of the fluorescence excitation illumination system to emit the first fluorescence excitation illumination comprising activating the first fluorescence excitation illumination source and deactivating the second fluorescence excitation illumination source, and
selectively direct, when the illumination source control unit identifies the particular fluorescence imaging agent used in the patient as being the second fluorescence imaging agent, the visible light illumination system to emit the first visible light and the fluorescence excitation illumination system to emit the second fluorescence excitation illumination concurrently with the emission of the first visible light for use with the second fluorescence imaging agent, the selective directing of the fluorescence excitation illumination system to emit the second fluorescence excitation illumination comprising activating the second fluorescence excitation illumination source and deactivating the first fluorescence excitation illumination source.